soundoff(374 Responses)

Get rid of pads/helmets and make players play both sides of the ball. The helmets give kids a feeling of invincibility and forcing kids to play both sides will force them to be in better shape making them smaller and not these 300+ pound players that are the true cause of all the injuries.

Rugby rarely has concussions because their players are smaller even though they don't use pads/helmets.

We must stop these children from participating in this barbaric display of unciviliized monkey play. I tell you another thing we need to stop; no motorcycles, no skateboarding, no bicycling, no running\jogging, no partaking of spirits, no cursing, no fast walking, no fast cars, no convetibles, no go karts, no golf carts, no baseball bats, no baseballs, etc.....
Have you people no fear? We must wrap ourselves in bubble wrap and be careful. What if an asteroid hits? How bout a nuclear bomb? The trees could put of some toxin and kill us all. Stop eating fats, salts, sugar, etc..... Have you people no fear?

Let's treat all lifestyle choices the same as our society treated cigarette smoking, a lifestyle choice. If your lifestyle choice may result in a financial burden to the society at large ban the exercise of the lifestyle choice in public, tax it and make it a crime to subject minors to it! Be consistent.

Your not going to see the linemen, they are hidden. They use their heads every single play in high school and middle school, it is productive. Coaches aren't going to stop it and neighter are the players. The only way to stop it is to either completely get rid of the game and how it is currently played or get sensors put in the helmets and give penalties to those who's helmets exceed the limit....that's not going to happen. Just let them play if they want to, I mean I can't complain when I fly down rocky trails on a mountain bike that could easily toss me in a coma.

The first time I really paid serious attention to this program was when I was coaching Little League baseball. It was mid July, and both teams were short players. My star player came up to me begging to please lets play the LL game, other wise he was going to have to practive football. This young man was also the star quaterback. It was 96 degrees at 5:45PM. I looked over to the football field to see an overweight kid, doing laps, wrapped in plastic garbage bags, being verbally abused by one of the coaches. Another of the football coaches came over in a huff, wanting to know why I was holding up their practice, because it was obvious we should forfiet. You see he was a former local high school hero, and now a youth football coach and I was a mere mortal. I politely took him aside away from the kids and explained to him some of the things my 4 years of Vietnam era military training had taught me and after I notified his next of kin when to find his remains, I was going to have the rest of his staff arrested for child abuse. This is what I think of youth football. I refuse to let some burned out star of yesteryear live his glory days through my son. As for my son, he never did play at this level, he did however play 4 years high school, starting his last 2.

Good point, Joe! Every youth coach is exactly like that. What those bullies really need is a good reasonable person like yourself to threaten them with death to really straighten out the situation- because bad behavior is properly rectified with even worse behavior.

Sorry I insulted your sensibilities. As I said I took it away from the kids. What I didn't mention is the clown had already threatened me and I quote "If my QB isn't over on that field in 5 minutes I'm gonna kick your f/***/ a**". I did try to reason with him at first, this was his response. If you have a better way to deal with more power to you.

My point is that just because you ran into one boneheaded idiot doesn't mean that all of them (us, actually) are. Telling us how your military training would have left him dead and here's where the family could find the body, etc.. is the same macho posturing that you're lamenting. It's not how I teach and it's not how any of my fellow coaches teach.

What if, just what if....We went from telling kids to make the BIG HIT (ESPN highlight reel play) and actually taught them how to play the game of football – or any sport for that matter? The injuries I've seen in youth football all go back to one player looking to knock the socks off of the other guy. 5% of the time, there is an injury...MOST of the time, there is just another (yet another!) missed tackle and moans/groans about another (yet another) kid that has no idea how to tackle someone.
I was taught the fundamentals of tackling for weeks as a kid in PeeWee football, middle school, etc. Now, we (and our young kids through us) are just worried about making the BIG HIT that makes the crowd go wild. Unfortunately, it's a sign of the times, too – We look style, instead of substance!

I played football in middle school through college. In 20 plus years of athletics, I have only had two serious injuries. I got a concussion, and I blew out my knee and ankle. Both of those happened playing pick-up soccer.

Every day, I get into a 3500# box of metal and make it move 70MPH around hundreds of other (many incompetent) individuals. Someone a hundred years ago would have said that was insane and should be banned, but we persist.

Some of us choose to live our life for now, and not spend every minute worrying about what might happen. If you wish to do so, don't play football, but don't think about telling others they cannot.

Without sports kids lose structure, nothing shapes a boy into a man like football, without it we are no better than french. Banning football is ridiculous, not one kid in my school was half a man that wasnt on the football team... You all probably want our Army to carry around water guns as well

What I don't understand is why no one is taking a stance like this for pre- high school football? My sons have all played the game from the time they could join the flag league, but this year we experienced our first concussion with my sixth grader. It's so scary. I was never that worried about concussions because I assumed the coaches would teach kids the right way to run plays so they wouldn't get hurt. But kids are kids, and young kids especially, need to be watched over more closely. Coaches and parents should advocate for baseline testing from sports medicine professionals, so a future concussion (and the severity of it) can be diagnosed quickly.

I know that this sounds insane, but hear me out. I am a design engineer and I have to account for abuse of the industrial equipment we produce in my designs Helmet manufacturers are going the wrong direction in helmet design. When a helmet is designed and built to withstand and protect from harder, more violent impact, we ENCOURAGE the use of the head/helmet as a "battering ram". Human nature will always, by uncontrollable reflex, react toward self preservation. If the player is convinced in his/her mind that his helmet will NOT protect him from extreme blunt force, he will not use it as a battering ram. Football helmets need to be LESS protective, more like bicycle helmets. They will protect the head from unforeseen accidental trauma, but will have no tolerance for use as a weapon. At the dawn of football, the helmets were leather and they functioned in this precise way. Anyone fool enough to intentionally use his head in a potentially traumatic manner paid the price. But, there was nothing about the leather helmet's design that encouraged its abuse. This would have a dramatic affect on the violence and speed of the game. I am a big football fan and it would definitely be a shock to my system to see this kind of change. The football fan base loves the violence. It is human nature. But, at the same time, no fan likes to see a former player wheeled to the 50-yard line in his wheelchair for an honorary coin toss. I pray that some engineer, scientist, or league official would look into my suggestion.I feel in my heart that I am right.

"The better the equipment, the more reckless the player wearing it" is not a new idea. It's just impossible to justify a rollback in protection. Stronger penalties for using the head as a weapon or making reckless contact with the head will have to serve the purpose. They need to be team penalties so as to put the force of peer pressure to work.

I hear you. But, the penalties will never work. The problem exists "in the moment". I was at the Ohio State vs. Indiana game this weekend. Ohio State nearly lost that game (my daughter is at IU) due to a fourth quarter mental breakdown that apparently has become one of their characteristics. A big spark to the comeback for IU was a 30 yard penalty for OSU. One 15-yard penalty for an illegal hit and a second 15-yard penalty after the play for an OSU player grabbing an IU player's face mask and pulling his helmet off. He was not thinking about the consequences of his actions on his team. He was in the moment. He only knew what he was thinking at that instant. Only his most basic knowledge and angry thinking were in play. In the instant that an illegal hit occurs, the player has absolutely no concept of penalties, fines, etc. It is only hit and hit hard. No penalty less than long-term or permanent unemployment is going to make the change needed.

For every one of those flagrant penalties there are probably just short of a bazillion similar impulses which went unfulfilled because the player restrained himself rather than suffer consequences himself or subject his team to penalty. The same can be accomplished with head shots, but it won't happen overnight. There's a big cultural element to it. Just like knee-on-knee hits in hockey- If you even accidentally hit a guy knee-on-knee players react very negatively these days and it wasn't like that just 10 or so years ago. The helmet-to-helmet shot needs time to become uncool.

I actually kind of agree with you on this. There seems to be more and more head injuries recently due to poor form and increased use of the head. Another reason is because players want to make that 'highlight' thanks to the added media coverage... They're not satisfied with just taking the player to the ground to make the tackle and risk missing the tackle to make the highlight reel. That's not a reason to ban the sport altogether though. If there isn't football through high school, there will just be more injuries in college and the NFL due to even worse form and technique.

Thank you, RT! Youth football should definitely NOT be banned. Americans love to look at the end result of poor behavior instead of the root cause. Poor technique is absolutely a problem. Over-protective head gear encourages it.

And we're back with the wussification of America debate again. Why not just put all kids in plastic bubbles throughout their school years so they won't even get as much as a paper cut. Kids who play will get injured, same as we did playing outside. It's how we learn, develop and strengthen up and deal with it and move on. Stop babying our youth...

I am a Pop Warner Jr. Pee Wee Football Coach in NH with two of my sons playing. Pop Warner Coach's in NH must take and pass 6 courses on a variety of topics around football, ethics, safety, rules/regulations, etc. Head Coaches even more! Further, kids should be taught the fundamentals of football. A player should NEVER lead with their head in a tackle. EVER! IF they do, it is poor coaching and bad technique. Its also dangerous. Kids should be taught head up, neck bulled and wrap. The picture above is disturbing because it shows the opposite. Leading with your head. Huge mistake, bad form and ultimately bad/irresponsible coaching. Dont ban the game. Get better coaches!

You can call me a wimp for what I'm about to say, but. I played middle school football for a brief period (I liked soccer more personally, btu w/e), and during the first day of padded practice, the coach's son rammed me with his head and sent me flying a few feet during one of those bull pen practices. No punishment, apology, or attempt to say to his son that it was wrong. I admit this is all anecdotal, but how much worse might that have been if we were talking highschool or college?

I'm not saying there aren't good coaches, and properly run programs out there. But I don't think the bad coaches get weeded out or reprimanded enough.

And that's the attitude I'm talking about. You're a wimp if you complain about getting hurt. Seriously? The kid made an illegal and dangerous play and none of the coaches made any public word of it. There was one assistant coach that privately agreed with my parents and I. And by the way, I knocked him on his rear the next day in the same practice session.

I never called you a wimp, and no, you're not a wimp for complaining about "being" hurt (you are if you complain about getting hurt as it's part of the game and risk you take).

But you would like an apology? You really want, or think, football players should apologize after doing their job and making a tackle or block (illegal or not)? That's ridiculous. Maybe basketball players should apologize for going hard at the hole, or baseball players when they run over the catcher, or boxers for punching... what do you think about that? I highly doubt it was an illegal hit anyways and if it were, it probably wasn't intentional. We're talking about 12-14 year olds here that are just learning the game, not NFL pro-bowlers.

That fact that we're talking about 12-15 year olds here is the point. It's not, they made a mistake oh well, it should be they made a mistake, don't do that. That latter is what happened in my experience, worse, because the son did it couple of other times to me and other team mates.

And yes you did call me a wimp, though not directly. Implying that I or others are unfit to handle the rigors of the sport is long winded way of calling me a wimp. I do agree that if you can't handle the physicality of the sport you probably shouldn't be playing it, but to shrug off injuries due to illegal, bad, or malacious hits is wrong. And yes, I would expect an apology if your team mate injures you during a practice. There's something wrong with you if you don't want to express remorse at injuring your team mate; whether it was or wasn't your fault.

You never said you got hurt. Just that you thought it was an illegal hit. And there are people that are "unfit to handle the rigors of the sport" which is evident in people quitting. Why is that wrong? That supports my initial point. I'm not implying that they're wimps... just that the physical nature of the game is not their 'cup of tea' and it's better to learn that early on rather than further down the road, when the injuries could be much more severe. I have a really good friend that came out for football during middle school and he only lasted a couple days, if that. He just didn't like the hitting aspect of the game. You can also teach a player proper technique while still teaching them to be tough or to have good sportsmanship (i.e. not apologizing for hitting). I think you said you played soccer... do players typically apologize when they miss the ball slide tackling and tripping the opposing player? Not in my experience... they're usually bitching at the refs about getting a card. I bet zidane didn't apologize when he headbutt that guy in the chest.

Again, team mates apologizing to one another. And yes it did happen when I played soccer. Heck it's good sportsman ship to apologize or help a downed opponent (though it's not a fault to not do so). I tripped up quite a few players when I played defense in soccer, they were never illegal (I made contact with the ball first and the other player didn't compensate correctly) and I almost always, apologized, asked if they were okay, or helped them afterwards. That said, slide tackling is generally not allowed in younger soccer leagues and wasn't allowed in the league I played in during middleschool. I'd probably be just as annoyed if the coach allowed a team mate to continue to do it at the potential harm of their team mates. On the soccer teams I played on, bad trips were always warned against.

Yes, whine is a synonym of complain, that's why I said not to confuse the two. A synonym is a similar word usually with a slightly different meaning. Whining is essentially complaining in a mean-spirited or annoying way. Complaining is usually just expressing dissatisfaction with something. In the case of injuring, expressing pain or harm.

"1. to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault: He complained constantly about the noise in the corridor.
2. to tell of one's pains, ailments, etc.: to complain of a backache. "

The second variation obviously fitting better given this context.

Lastly, I think explaining that I was sent through the air was a good indicator that harm or injury occured.

Again personal experience here, but at that age level when I played football the coaches and parents cared more about winning then anything else. With soccer, there was more emphasis on team play and sportsmanship.

You said you were at practice the next day so you obviously weren't that hurt, and most definitely weren't injured. I guess we just have different philosophies but I see apologizing for doing your job as a sign of weakness, especially when hitting is a primary facet of the sport. When I played, it was offense against defense at practice... didn't matter what your friendship was off the field. Things would get heated and we would get in fights during scrimmages and then joke and laugh about it in the locker room afterwards. I would whale on some of my best friends that played defense because it was my job to protect the QB and I took my job seriously. My intent was not to injure them but to be as prepared as possible for the games because I knew the other team didn't care about my feelings.

P.s. I was just busting your chops about complaining and whining being synonyms.

The coaches care about winning since the goal is to win, but they also encourage good sportsmanship. Not all of them obviously because nothing is absolute, but many. And a majority of the parents don't care one way or the other about "win at all costs", especially the mothers (most of them use the games as a social function). There are a handful of dads that are intense, but most parents just don't want their kids to get hurt, which I feel like is true in any sport. This is obviously not true everywhere.

I'm not one to suggest getting rid of youth football, I had the time of my life playing football in middle school, high school not so much but that is a different story. Anyway, playing football in middle school and high school I remember the coaches speal about not using your head to tackle ect., but some of the hardest hits at practice and the games came from kids using their heads; smacking the lineman in from of you with your helmet up on their face mask caused the most pain and worked good to beat them. This is no secret and everyone on the line tries to do this, you are not going to stop that becuase you would lose. Plus you can't even see in the line during the game and see what happens.

Football just doesn’t have many redeeming qualities. I played in HS for a highly ranked team, several friends went on to Div I and one played professionally for six years. We all now do road cycling and agree that we are far healthier in our 40s than football ever made us in our teens-20s.

I also suspect that football contributes to our obesity culture. Teenage kids are taught that 250-300lbs is ok. Even if it’s “solid muscle,” which it never really is, that much mass taxes every system, from skeletal to cardio. The sport emphasizes short burst of energy rather than sustained fitness. And it diverts a lot of community money away from more valuable endeavors.

In other words, the benefits of football don’t come close o offsetting the risks and costs. It’s a gladiator sport, plain and simple, designed the stoke the egos of adolescent kids and their adolescent adult fans. No wonder the sport is so big in places where educational performance is so small.

These friends of yours, would you say that the comradere of football helped develop your friendships at that time? How about the lessons learned in football: leadership, team play, trust. I think the comment about obeasity and football do not add up. Yo are talking about Lineman that hit the 300 lbs range...many of these kids have frames that are condusive to these weights given weight training and diet is a big thing at the upper levels. Football is dangerous, but to say that the sport has no redeeming qualities is absurd.

No kid has a frame that is "conducive" to anything approaching 300lbs. Very few, including those who play football, are healthy above 200lbs. Bulking up with muscle (esp. at that age) is only marginally better than bulking up with fat...and it's not just the linemen. Humans are not meant to be grizzly bears, and “big boned” is a myth to make people feel better about being unhealthy.

Regarding the camaraderie, as the other poster said, that's hardly unique to football.

And as for Ivy League colleges having football teams, I was referring to the extreme glorification of youth football, which has an uncanny affiliation with places that are not terribly high on the socio-economic totem pole, and where the adults seem to hold it in higher esteem than they do education.

Should youth football be banned in schools? I don’t know, but let’s not pretend that it’s anything other than what it is.

I have mixed opinions about this. As a former student athlete, I can say this is not the best plan. Make football safer, but do not take it away. Do you not understand there are some high school kids, that without Football scholarships, they normally wouldn't be able to go to college?? That is sad you are willing to take their right of education and potential career from them. Don't have padded practice, I'm sure there are tons of ways to make it safer. Make teams larger, rotate the kids out more. Pitchers don't pitch every game! Take the helmets away and they will stop leaning in with their head. The helmet is what makes it unsafe. I don't see them making a call to ban rugby!

I mostly agree. But there's no point to a football scholarship if you're near brain dead by age 20 (I'm exaggerating a little here obviously). The culture in these high contact sports needs to change a little bit. In highly competitive areas, I think the "walk it off" attitude prevails, whether from the parents or the coaches.

Oh sure ban foot ball, TV, Bacon.....and anything that has remotely affected anyone. Then lets all live in bubbles so we don't catch any germs. Give me a break. Kids also fall off swings....ban those. If the girt dirt in their eye, remove all dirt from play grounds. I think you get my point!

I have coached youth football for thirteen years and I can’t believe that They are even thinking of banning the game. We understand that there are risks associated with football. I have seen concussions, broken arms, broken legs and torn everything else. This is a tough sport that is very demanding on the body. But it does come down to the proper technique and skills. The kid MUST be tout the proper skills prior to ever getting on the field. It starts with the league all the way down to the coaching staff. I have gone through 6 games this season with no concussions and only one injury(that was on scooter over the weekend). Again it comes down to the coaches and making sure that they are teaching the correct skills. I have seen coaches on the first day of practice start the kids tackling at 5 yards apart at full speed. You have different skill levels and different size groups and unfortunately this is how kids get hurt. I could go on for hours on the problem with coaches but we have all seen these coaches on the field. One last note is that the sport with the highest amount of injuries including concussions is Soccer.

Coaches in our area are required to go through a coaches certification program prior to coaching. They are also required to go through a mandatory concussion traing prior to the season. These trainings are mandatory prior to a coach taking the field. This should be a requirement for every area in the country.

I'm going to have to ask you to cite a source for highest amount of injuries. Football, last I checked, has the highest rate of injuries (mostly knee).

From a CDC study:
"An estimated 1,442,533 injuries occurred among U.S. high school student athletes participating in practices or competitions for the nine sports studied. The overall (i.e., practice and competition) injury rate in all sports combined was 2.44 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures (Table). Football had the highest injury rate (4.36 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures) followed by wrestling (2.50), boys' (2.43) and girls' (2.36) soccer, and girls' basketball (2.01). Boys' basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball each had injury rates of less than 2.0 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures. In each sport, the injury rate was higher in competition than practice settings. Although boys' soccer had slightly higher injury rates than girls' soccer, and girls' basketball had slightly higher injury rates than boys' basketball, no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) by sex were observed for soccer and basketball."

Yes, it should be banned until high school. 9-10 can play JV. 11-12 play varsity. Before that, they can play flag to develop skills. Younger teams tend to focus on the run game rather than passing. Repeated run blocking has been shown to cause more damage than occasional big hits that you see in passing plays.

"Repeated run blocking has been shown to cause more damage than occasional big hits that you see in passing plays."

This can't be true... do you have anything to support this? I may be wrong, but the most vicious hits are on passing plays when the receivers are coming across the middle, and I'm pretty sure linemen are the least likely to suffer concussions since they only get a yard or two before contact. If we're talking about all injuries, it may be a different story (although I don't think so), but concussions are more prevalent with skill players from my experience and during pass plays.

RT:
The medical research says that while big hits are a problem, the real problem is the repetitive hits. Bryant Gumble's Sports show on HBO has done a couple of excellent stories on this subject, they are worth finding and seeing. FYI, Berrie Goldberg has done the 2 stories I've seen and he is a pretty conservative guy–if that matters. George Will has also openly talked about the need to fundamentally change football because of the dangers.

I'm not saying that's wrong or I'm right, but I just can't believe it (I'll try to catch that HBO special on netflix or google it). Are we talking about all injuries or only head injuries? If it's all injuries, I could maybe believe that, but concussions seem to be more common with skill players. Again, I don't have anything concrete to support that... it's just from watching and playing a lot of football. And I also tend to believe studies can be skewed in a way to support any hypothesis.

Yea, let's ban football. But lets also ban baseball, skate boards, trampolines, and two wheeled vehicles of any kind. And while we're at it, let's ban running shoes because people trip from time to time while running. Stop the Nanny State.

It's not a nanny state, it is taxpayers money going to public schools, taxpayers get a voice in how public schools should be run. Football is a gender segregated sport, which girls are allowed to play football in the NFL and make those millions? Cheerleaders don't make the same money. Get rid of it in public schools and get them learning Engineering instead.

Lee...let me put it this way, If a girl is tough enough to take a hit and not complain about it, then she is sure tough enough to play football. The reason most women don't play in the NFL or even college is there bodies simply are not able to withstand the punishment a male body can. Now I personaly know a few women who play perdominantly male sports, and yes they are very good at those sports. So don't say that Football is a gender segregated sport...simply ignorant!!!

In the big cities there is a lot of smog........LETs ban Breathing in large cities.
How many people passed away in auto accidents last week – Lets ban driving.
We must ban Boxing without a question.
How about – LETS BAN OBAMA Mochell, Biden, Hillary and everyone that works for them.

cant keep damaging our kids this way, yet you want to take away an afterschool activity and sport which gives them something to do. alot of kids would go home after school and be bored. boredum is the root of all evil- what are they gonna do- internet? tv? homework? not to mention the hardwork, discipline, teamwork that goes along with football. football has alot of positives, the pro list is alot longer than the cons. you cant let the risk of a concussion take away an intrical part of being an american youth

People easily seem to overlook the fact that there are more reported concussions in youth soccer then there are in youth football. Concussions will never be fully prevented. Regardless of special helmets, mouthpieces, etc. At least in football they are wearing equipment.

I play rugby in Canada for 6 years and I have only had 1 concussion out of those years.
The reason why I got these concussion was I got tackled in a wrong way, and when I tackled someone they fell in a wrong way.
In rugby our coach teaches us how to tackle and how to be tackled, how to fall and how to avoid getting fallen over.

I think the fact that we don't wear any helmet or any padding makes us more cautious of how we can take care of ourselves in the field.

I also played football and hockey when I was in highschool and college and I can say in those 8-9 years I got 5 minor or major concussions. The fact that we had all those padding and helmets made me feel invincible, made me feel like I can conquer hit and re-hit anything I can. But no one taught us falling, or how to hit properly or how to take care of our body with these gear on because its just so damn hard to do it.

In the end I think it all football shouldn't be banned for the youth, as much as there is a danger imposed to it-it should just be kept as it is.
If there is some brain injury problem then there must be a way to find out how to avoid it but in general banning it is not the solution.

Ahhh yes collin, i believe 1+5=6. but yes discredit what he is saying bc he misspelled a few words. what did you read the first line then move right on to the comment box. people who want to ban football are wussys with a p. football is not mandatory, if you do not want to play, do not play

I played football for 10 years (Middle School, High School, College) and had a confirmed 3 concussions but got got my "bell rung" many, many times. I think I turned out OK jmklmklmkl dmklfdwoepvd, acmepe

Contact football younger than high school should most definitely be banned. Beyond that I think you educate players/parents, get the high school parents to sign away on liability, and let them play. That way the kid can only sue the parents later when they have had their brains beat in.

I have 2 girls so I can't spreak from personal experience. But I am sure I wouldn't sign up my kid for a sport where he could get a concussion. Your kid won't make it to NFL but the consequences for health might be devastating.
This is the reason I pulled my daughter out of gymnastics once it started being a bt dangerous.

You are also an idiot...your child can get a concussion doing anything...I have had 3 in my life. One I hit my head on the diving board, the next was playing hockey, and the third was tubing on the lake. Just go ahead and put your kids in a bubble because they can get concussed doing anything.

What sport would you allow your girls to sign up for? Softball with 80+ mph pitches? Volleyball with spikes ofver the net and digs that can land a girl on her head if she isn't carefull? CheerLeading or gymnastics with one of the highest injury rates for any organized sport in High School?

Proper technigue is reguired to play the game safely. Too many kids are taught simply to hit hard and not how to hit or tackle. Bad technigue leads to injury in any sport. It is the parents and coaches responsibility to make sure the kids are playing the game corectly and putting safety intothe discussion. Banning the game is no tthe answer.

My wife was in gymnastics and her parents pulled her out because they thought it was dangerous. She resents them for it to this day. I played football Jr./High school and I learned a lot about team work. I went on to serve in the military where this skill became usefull. The worst accident I ever had playing sports was in baseball last year. I threw a baseball and I snapped my humerus bone in half. All sports carry significant risk. We need people who are tough physically and mentaly.

The reason that America has so many retards is due to the concussions from playing football as a kid. The CDC reported over 200 child deaths a year due to concussions from playing football. But like anything else, I don't think that banning is the solution. You have a lot of violent hungry American's that need that fix, so you can't take that away, there would be an uproar. What you do is continue to let American's enjoy their sport, let them to continue to put their kids at risk for entertainment value,...I have no problem with watching them violently destroy each other, I know my children will be avid observers of these kids dismantling each other for our enjoyment.

nice...idiot, the only "retard" is you.....mentally disabled people like football and realize it can be dangerous....when they see a comment like yours, they wonder why you were denied the proper DNA to think like a rational human Tool for the Fools!

Yes americans are so evil. Lets ban Americans, americans, americans this, americans that. If your here bud, get the hell out then. Maybe we should play soccer instead cause hey thats not violent. Not like soccer fans need to be quaranteened from eachother so they dont kill one another no. Your kids can grow up to be soft lil wimps with no athletisism.

Children (i.e. people under the age of 18) should not be playing tackle, full contact sports. Their bodies are not yet sufficiently developed to handle the stresses and even though kids today are larger than in the past, they still don't have the physical maturity to absorb the impact. On a personal note, I don't believe kids should be risking their future health on such a high risk game. No other sport has such high risks; since 1982, 113 high school kids died playing football and 331 had permanent damage, with the numbers in recent years climbing quickly.

That will never happen, if 18 is the minimum age...then football will be dead. You would basically have first time players playing in strictly their senior year of high school. There will be no way to evaluate talent for the next level (college) and the foundation of football would be soo weak that there would be no NFL.

OMG, almost 400 people in 30 years? We must do something, that is 13 people a year dying or getting seriously hurt. In a country of 300 million, those numbers are outrageous!

Or, we can just accept the fact that some people choose not to live their life scared of everything that may happen to them. You don't want to play? Fine. You don't want your kids to play? That's an argument for you and them. You don't want me or my (theoretical future) kids to play? Too bad. Granted, I think football is a silly sport anyways, I'd rather them be playing hockey, but the great thing is when they grow up, they'll get to play football if they choose to.

Really, I played through college I coach youth now. Our first coaches meeting was regarding proper technique and keeping the kids safe. We teach never to lead with your head, even at the line of scrimmage, lead with your hands. I got one known concussion it was playing rugby which I did for 11 years after football. The number one sport for concussions is girls soccer. I suggest to remove the face mask and no kid will lead with their head, untill that happens learn to play the game the right way. The biggest brain injury is actually coming back too early after a concussion not the concussion itself. Rest, sleep, relax after head trauma don't return until being sympton free. Make sure the dialog between player/coach and player/parent is honest. If the kids lie about symptoms that is what gets them killed!

I coach youth football. And I have to say, it is scary with younger kids. Yes, we did training on proper techniques and concussion training every year, but the issue in play becomes parents; both those coaching and not coaching that put winning in youth sports first. Even many of the best intentioned coaches eventually succumb, or are forced to succumb or be removed in favor of a coach with a win first attitude. I see too many parents, seemingly intent on their children succeeding where they did not, or coaches wanting to be able to proclaim "they" won a championship.

That being said, kids do enjoy football, but there needs to be balance for their safety and their future. Whether it be mandatory flag leagues so they have an alternative; removing standings, playoffs, and championships; or some other way that will minimize the incentive of coaches to make decisions that put winning before anything else.

I say all this with an eye towards younger children, of course. In my opinion all bets are off once the kids reach high school, but I can;t stand seeing that kind of attitude with 7 and 8 year olds.

Our nation is failing, just like every great empire before it. We have become soft and over indulgent. We listen to the few blow hearts who voice their opinion, because everyone’s opinion matters? I’m sorry, but we are not all created equally. We are all born with our strengths and weakness. As a nation we need to accept that. Some people are born leaders and some are born followers. That is not being unfair, or bias, that is just fact. Yes there is risk involved in playing football, but there is also great reward. It is medical fact that if you crash your bike and hit your head, you will get a concussion. So maybe we should ban bikes. Don’t ban football, educate coaches on how to fit helmets and tell these soft kids that the helmet will not be comfortable for a few days. Maybe the answer is a study in the proper issuing of helmets, not relying on those that never played football to shut it down!

Are you suggesting that kids are playing today without helmets? Your statements are hard to follow and make no sense. Mike Singletary says he would not let his child play football. Is Singletary 'soft'.
Your bicycle analogy is absurd. Let's stop using cars because people die. The number of concussions is substantial. It is not a 'risk', it is an accepted part of playing the game. Most bicyclists never have a concussion. There is a substantial difference between the two. By the way...the phrase is 'blow hards'...not 'blow hearts'. Your own quote should explain why it doesn't make sense.

Substantial? How many kids play football? Now how many get hurt to such a high degree? As a parent i wish no hurt or pain upon a child. Millions and i repeat MILLIONS play football before they get to the high school level. There has been less than 1000 total cases where the child and i say child for high school as well were hurt killed or hurt so much as to impair them for the rest of their lives in the last 20 years. Now to what a person above me said trying to relate football with a bicycle riding. If football is banned prior to adulthood then definitely we need to ban bicycle riding, gymnastics and to include cheerleading as well. Football can be a painful sport where someone can get hurt that is a fact but football also gives children many lifelong values such as discipline and the value of working hard. Football teaches kids to trust others and be part of a team and something bigger than themselves. Dont ban foootball just keep teaching kids the proper techniques.

There is increasing evidence that repeated concussive blows dramatically increase the odds of and decrease the average age for the onset of neurodegenerative disease, mostly tauopathies in the frontal lobe. A disturbingly large number of NFL players are getting dementia at an early age, and an increasing number are committing suicide. While they obviously are exposed to much greater and more frequent impacts than your average youth player, that may only mean that they are the canaries in the coal mine - getting more obvious symptoms faster.

There is no benefit to playing a sport with repeated concussive injuries that cannot be gained from playing a different sport.

What will happen with all of these reports and doctor's opinion is someone's kid will get paralyzed or serious brain injury, file a lawsuit against the school or football league, win it, and liability insurance will go through the roof and it won't be affordable anymore.

Other sports are already banned or not even available in communities not because of lack of interest but because of high liabilities. Just try to introduce to the school something like rugby or boxing. These are sports, but see if schools sponsor these at all and have them respond to you about liability issues.

Primary problem is poor coaches and lower levels and kids who watch football on TV. But how can you ban it–people have the const. right to freedom of assembly–cops going to go around and stop football games in someone front yards or make it illegal to coach. My self I hate the youth leagues this as a retired coach of 40 years in Texas. Dads who are ledgens in their own mind coaching little kids and teaching crappie.

Coached for 40 years and have worked as Paramedic for 34 years. Comparing football injures to motorcycle, car, drugs, 4-wheelers is like a row boat to the Titantic in sinking. Those injures are now in epidemic portions. Just worked a MVA where 5 kids under 6 will have life time injures–broken back and abdominal injures. Worst sports injury I ever encountered was in Baseball–hit in the head by linedrive. So how do you weigh all this.

...and personal responsibility, sportsmanship, competitiveness, a sense of achievement, team-spirit... need I go on? God – America, put your big boy pants back on. Guys need to take off the skirt and be guys again. This is a sickening post, and one I would expect my mother to write, and my grandmother to condemn as being "too soft".

NO way! should youth football be banned. how will the kids ever get better, to become a NFL player without youth football. Like they say "practice makes perfect." The best way to learn is to start early and go through the years of playing football. More years the better you get.

Those who claim that "proper coaching" solves the problem would be the same people who believe that we would not need seat belts if everyone took drivers ed. Despite education, game/road conditions, idiot drivers/players, size differences between cars/players, and speed differences between cars/players will inevitably lead to collisions that result in unforeseen injury. I recently played at the highest level and know firsthand the proper techniques, but at times, due to the speed of the game, I did not hit the opposing player as taught and I delivered a head to hear blow inadvertently. Other times I tried to tackle properly and my head was hit with a knee. Point is... you can't predict how the hits will come just as you cant always predict how a car wreck will happen. Those who think the game is so slow paced and predictable either never played or have not played since 1950. That said, I am not for a ban... instead parents and players should be made aware of the realistic unavoidable risks and make a decision accordingly.

I think the smartest thing we can do as a society is ban everything a child might want to do except for sitting on the couch. That way, we'll only thing we'll have to worry about is their childhood obesity. But that's okay because we're also all fat from sitting on the couch and no one has ever died from that!

No. Giving children something that challenges them so they can overcome adversity give children confidence. Confidence is crucial for growing humans to live healthy happy lives. But removing things that will be detrimental to their brain and may permenantly effect their health should be removed. Why do people go extremes?

Football is part of America as apple pie and chevy's. Both of my boys play football and have for the past 7 years. This year my eldest son had a concussion due to a late helmet to helmet hit. I flipped out because the child who did the hitting was not thrown out of the game. Unfortunately I have also coached football for that long (as well as played it for years) and the helmet to helmet hits are not going to stop. It is an inherited risk that you face in contact sports. In all of the years I have been coaching my sons teams, I have always emphasized the importance of proper tackling techniques. The truth is that most coaches do not teach that. They teach the importance of hitting and making the big play. You will never be able to remove helmet to helmet hits with 100% certanty, but with proper instructions and teaching technique, you should be able to limit the concussion.

As a side note, do you know the number 2 sport for concussion is? Women's Soccer. So by the same explination, should we ban women's soccer???????

If you don't want a ban you need to work harder to properly educate players and coaches on how to properly play the sport. Illegal moves that endanger the safety of the player should be held to higher penalty and enforced strictly. And part of the problem is the culture around organized sports. The sport at that level shouldn't be so serious as to risk life and limb. I have no doubt that in areas where high school football is highly competive that there are parents and coaches saying to their injured kids, "Walk it off." There's no point to that football scholarship if you're about brain dead by the time you're 20. I agree that we shouldn't be so protective and try to prevent any type of injury. But parents, coaches, and officials can't be complacent about placing their child's health and future above that of the game.

And give them pink tutu's to wear with pretty ribbons for their hair too. BOO to your response. This suggestion to banning youth football is ridiculous. Let's teach them all how to rap and sell drugs instead.

If you believe ballet is easy, you've never done it. Ballet dancers are all muscle.

When I was in college, I had football players in my ballet class doing barre work to recover from injuries. Every one of them complained that "sissy ballet" was way more difficult than working on the field.

Actually flag football is more dangerous than tackle, you get no pads. My son played both for a year, and we saw more injuries from flag football, than tackle. (Heads smashing together with no helmets, mostly)

I had my nose broken playing "touch" football in High School gym class. My nose was broken so badly that it required surgery. Even after surgery, it is difficult to breathe, to the extent that it makes me mouth breathe and also snore very loudly while sleeping. Because of that, my ex wife kicked me in bed and everywhere I go, people bang on the wall all night. Indirectly, football has ruined my life.

I young, 19 year old, girl has been murdered and the search for her body is on going
in Dover, NH and you are reporting on a high school football ban? Elizabeth Marriot was an amazing person
and she was known by people from NH to California as such. This is emphasizes what is wrong with the mainstream media. I am sincerely disappointed here. I knew Liz personally and often come to CNN as my first place of news and was hoping they might have some more information on the trial, which btw is presenting an interesting legal procedure.
At least consider what other events are going on in or around a town before you choose to publish an article on something as frivolous as football.

Sorry to hear about your friend. What possess people to commit such heinous acts escapes me. That said, this is a national issue rather than a local one and that's why it is given attention on a national news site.. But regardless, why don't you submit an iReport on it? You have the information so write something up and make a submission. Why sit around hoping for someone else to do it??

I was involved in coaching youth football in the local league for 3 seasons. What surprised me was the WIN AT ALL COST attitude among most of the coaches in the league. First it was trying to figure how they could keep kids from being moved up in divisions in an attempt to stack their teams. Secondly it not just beat teams but humiliate them by winning by at least 30 points. This came way before emphasizing correct techniques and rules, etc. Too many guys that never played were assigned teams. What needs to happen is the governing bodies that run these leagues need to madate some coaching clinics for their coaches to attend. Not only from say the local high schools but even college ranks and include first aid. That along with emphasizing the need to TEACH these young kids the game and the sport within the game. It isn't a MUST that you win. But it is a MUST that you learn how to play in order to stay as safe as possible. TEACH kids the correct way to play along with the sportsmanship factor and staying safe. Coaches, allow the kids to play and let the game results take care of themselves win or lose.

The coaches and parents are absolutely insane when it comes to kids sports. I was appalled at how the adults were behaving when I watched my son's friend's Pop Warner. That's not the environment I want my child in – I'm trying to raise a person to have a certain amount of respect and decorum. And before anyone jumps on me that I'm raising a sissy... he is in martial arts and one of the best in his school.

LET YOUR KIDS PLAY ANY SPORT THEY WANT TO. Are you not going to let your kid ride a bike? Play baseball? For christ sakes go swimming because he/she may drown? Injuries can happen anywhere at any time. They arent gladiators fighting to the death. All you people do is jump all over anything bad that you hear about the sport. If you think it should be banned then you are a sissy loving overly-sheltering parent who will probably never let your kid have any freedom, which is just wrong and not healthy for your kids.

Michael – you can receive a concussion from falling off a bicycle and you can definitely drown from swimming or in some rare cases, have brain damage from lack of oxygen. Granted the chances for injury are greater in a contact sport but the point is, it can happen in ANY sport.

Of course you can get hurt doing anything, but the whole point of football IS to hit! Hence the padding! I've seen numerous baseball games where there was no contact whatsoever....do you ever see them wear padding? Just the batter....ever see a football game with no contact?

What is so ignorant about that post? That he is pointing out there is inherant risk in any and all sports. I understand footbal is a contact sport, could you get injured...sure. However, taking away the ability fo rkids to engage in a sport that teaches many life lessons, and keeps kids out of trouble is absurd. The consent of the kids, and of the parents should be the issue. Just because you fail to see the value in youth football does not mean that the rights of others that do see the value to have their right to play this sport infringed upon.

Don't ban it, but make them sign waivers indemnifying anyone, but their families as being responsible for any physical or emotional damages. My son will never play, but mostly because of the rabid parents and coaches that seem to think their kid (and, thus, every kid) will end up in the NFL if we push them hard enough. Even in peewee leagues – very disturbing.

What is America coming to? We are seriously talking about banning football? While we are at it we should make boxing, martial arts, soccer, rugby, and basketball illegal. First you take away youth football...then what? Middle School football. That is a slippery precedent, if you dont want your kids to play football...then dont sign them up. However, stripping the right for kids to engage in a sport that encourages leadership, team play, and overcoming adversity is un American. Think about all the troubled youth that have used the sport of football to escape trouble in the neighborhood (gangs, heavy drug use) you would be basically blocking that escape from the reality they live in.

It also encourages head hunting, aggression, and injuries that can last long after high school is over....I don't think football should be banned, but I think they should be waiting until they are 18 to play.....

18...really? That basically equates to no play at all. Most people are seniors in high school when they are 18. Think of all the kids who use football to get schollarships to play college ball. Many of these kids cant afford college, the athletic scholarship gives them the opportunity to get an education. I played football for the majority of my life...head hunting and promoting injury were never part of any of my coaches philosophies. I bet you have never played football, and thus, have no frame of reference here.

There are more injuries from high school football than scholarships.....and if kids want scholarships there are many other ways than football.....

As for my experience playing I have a hell of a lot more than you, and I have the bad knees and ankle to prove it....after a big LEGAL hit in high school (thank God it was a legal hit)....the doctor informed me that the GOOD news is that I will be able to walk but my days of football, basketball, tennis and pretty much all physical activities were over....so don't give me any BS about football injuries....

That unfortunate that you got injured in high school. The point being, how is it your right to deprive people who want to play the game. This is a rights issue, if there is consent by the parents and the kids then it should be a dead issue. Secondly, you have no insight to my playing career. I know from first hand experience that football: builds confidence in youth, builds a team philosophy,and is a way for kids to make friends. Making the minimum age 18 years old is basically a round about way of ending football.

My thing is that a 12 year old might understand that they could get hurt....they understand pain but they don't understand the gravity of what a serious injury can do....kids play rough, drink more, smoke more and generally are pretty fearless creatures because they are young and can withstand quite a bit....but they aren't immune....the average NFL career is 3 years due to injury.....they don't call the NFL "Not For Long" for no reason.....

Food for thought: why are there so many injuries in football?
Because, hiding behind their layers of protection, anyone can hit someone else as hard as they can without risking their own safety. All these layers of protection are causing more injuries than that they prevent.
Now compare football with rugby: you can only hit as hard as you can handle yourself.
As a rugby fan from France recently told me" "(American) football is for sissies wearing tights".

This is a misguided assault of a sports, cost of insurance?, bringing to end one of the best team sports for developing interactive skills for young men!! If it is a perception of concern we want to display or just an effort marginalize student athletes for the benefit of those who cannot play sports or do not want to play sports.. Lets target a real concern, a real issue and be real adults about protecting our children and boycott McDonalds and Burger King, put a limitation to obesity and the acceptance of unhealthy obesity!! So, we can pull a great sport out from our children and continue to stuff their faces with uncontrolled diets in the school cafeterias. Shall we “tackle” the real problems before we “touch” on the small ones like football?

The biggest problem is NOT the sport but the sport being played improperly. Helmets are for protection not force like most use them today. 90% of the plays I see that have head injuries are from heads being down and not eyes up, along with leading with your head instead of staying square, wrapping up and driving the feet, kids try to leave their feet and headbutt others.

Once again bad form not the sport! The same ones that call for the banning of the sport are the same ones that want to ban guns because irrational humans use them improperly.

I loved playing football and I watch it now with passion. I coach my son in youth flag football now. My brother is a head coach of a state championship quality high school team. I think that banning guns will not stop crazy people from doing what they do with guns as they will just use something else. I also so think that it is obvious, given all of the exacting methodology required to create a safer playing environment that you just detailed, that tackle football is inherently dangerous and especially for head trauma.

Boxing and MMA have preferred methods for executing the movements so as to minimize injury too. The thing is that if you need to wear a helmet to play then you are clearly recognizing that there is significant potential for head trauma. I would never allow my son to box or do MMA as the entire point of both is to hit/kick a person in the head such that they go unconscious (knockout).

Football may not carry the same type of explicit activity specifically directed at the head but it does involve tangential risk as the entire body is at extreme risk through the sport. Thus the risk is too high for kids relative to brain trauma. Again they wear helmets for a reason. A player can be trained and be executing /playing in accordance with that training and the purpose of that helmet will come into play and injury can occur anyway. It's simply not worth the risk.

No way I would let either of my boys (or my girl) play football. I can't fathom why parents would risk a brain injury to their child for the sake of a game. No sport is completely without risk, but a concussion is nothing to play around with. No thank you.

I'm so glad I have girls so I don't have to worry about them wanting to play football....I think football should be starting in college, not junior high....at least then they will be adults and they can sign off themselves about the risk of injuries....

Concussions are only a small part of football....I used to have dreams of playing in the NFL....after a few bad hits in high school I have had both knees replaced and I will wear a foot brace for the rest of my life....never in my wildest dreams would I subject a child to something like that.....I used to laugh at friends who's parents wouldn't allow them to play.....guess they got the last laugh.....

I wouldn't let my son play football. I steered him to Hockey, Soccer and Baseball. He played Soccer and Baseball in HS. You wouldn't believe the peer pressure and ridicule he got from football palyers. Soccers for sissies etc. When they had to do running. All of the soccer players were in great shap and half of the football players couldn't keep up. Plus Soccer is a lot mor physical than people imagine.

Jeff, My grandson has the latest helmet on the market. He just spent 3 days in the hospital and for 11 hrs and 38 minutes could not move any of his extremities. The video of the hit was reviewed by several doctors and neurologists along with coaches and nothing in the video showed a "cheap" shot or an illegal hit. The neurologist have placed him in a neck brace in fears that beside a severe concussion he might also have spinal column damage at the base of the skull. So do you risk letting him play again since one more hit could paralyze him for life since he is only 11 that one heck of a long time. I played high school and college football, so how do you call it !!!!!!!!!

The vast majority of kids that get conccussions are either too wimpy to play and shouldnt be in any kind of contact sport whasoever or they are going so fast and out of control they cause serious injury to themselves or someone else.

Football will never go away, that is most absurd thing anyone could ever say about a sport. If you take away sports, those kids will then be on the streets looking for trouble. Sports keeps these youths focused on life and family.

BS......I had my first concussion playing football when I was 15. Had amnesia for 1/2 day. At the time, I was 6'3" and 200 lbs. hardly WIMPY for a 15 year old. I knocked a kid out old cold when I was 13...I broke another kids collarbone when I was 11 and one at 14. It's a VIOLENT sport and won't survive!!

The best way to get players to stop using their heads as a battering ram? Take the helmets away. You didn't see guys doing this when the helmet was a piece of leather strapped to their head. With improved helmets has come a sense of invincibility with respect to using the head to tackle. I know it sounds crazy, but think about it. If guys didn't wear helmets/facemasks, they would tackle the way they're supposed to – with a shoulder to the gut. As for the NFL – they're a bunch of hypocrites. The same industry that fines players for crushing opposing players uses clips of players crushing each other to generate excitement in their advertisements.

It is always a shame to discuss abandoning a tradition, but gladiatorial games were once a tradition too. What nobody really wants to say is that football is, and always has been, a blood sport. In its early days it was almost federally banned because of the high number of deaths and severe injuries. The organizers reformed the rules enough to where deaths became rare and the sport was allowed to continue. But it is still far more violent than most sports. There is something to be said for allowing adults to do what they will, so I am on the fence as to whether pro football is ok or not. But certainly we should be responsible enough as a society to say that encouraging minors to engage in something with such a high risk of permanent (emphasize PERMANENT) injury is not reasonable. While it is a shame to give up on a tradition certainly there is no reason we cannot cheer as loudly for baseball or soccer as we can for football.

I've got twin 4-year-old boys. One of my biggest fears is that they'll want to play football, because I've already decided I would have to tell them no. No game is worth brain damage for the rest of one's life.

No, what needs to happen is the same that that happens in my state, where all coaches AND volunteers are coaching certified through the state. Pads and technology can help, but when you have been part of the game as long as I have, you realize that the right coaches and coaches with knowledge are teh difference between a safe player and unsafe one.

I agree with you 100%!!! Of course you can not guarantee 100% safety, because just like when you walk out the door in the morning, you are taking a risk that anything can happen, but when you have coaches and staff that have themselves been part of the game for years, and are trained properly, you lessen the chances of these things happening. My boys play football, and their father is the coach and he has been playing/coaching football for the past 23 years, and when his players tackle improperly, they are immediatley stopped, and if it's an on-going thing, they're discplined. Safety just has to be a TOP issue!

I agree that it should not be banned as we should be careful of limiting freedoms. I just think that kids shouldn't play organized tackle football in pads. The risk is too high for brain injury. But I think limiting our freedoms carries even bigger risk. My son will never be allowed to play tackle football and at the same time I will never vote for a ban.

Laugh all you like, I have three state championships and you probably don't. Former teammates of mine have gone on to world class teams and so many of them now teach guard that I have a hard time keeping track of who's coaching which schools.

If you don't have kids, you might say that. If you do, then you might want to consider what you give up potentially by playing this sport at a young age or even in HS. But arguing the point with an obviously concussed mind is a waste of time.

I played football in my youth and I still carry the injuries. I did not allow my sons to play football and will be vocal about my grandsons not playing football. I think though it is a parents choice but when all is said and done and the insurance industry starts finding out how much it is costing them short and long term and rates go up accordingly then you will see a change. Money always talks.

No do not ban it that would be outrageous. All that is needed is proper coaching on tackling fundamentals and more research into the subject. I played football (defense) for 16 years up to the collegiate level and never once sustained a concussion. Just make sure your children understand and are properly educated on the fundamentals of tackling and the dangers of tackling with improper technique.

Here's what should be banned: coaches and parents from Youth Football. The concussions and injuries occur because parents and coaches encourage players to do more than they would otherwise feel comfortable doing and the result is someone gets hurt more than they would otherwise. Let kids play games by themselves and keep adults out of it.

Thank you, Dr. Butler! YES, youth football should be banned. You need look no farther than the YouTube videos of PeeWee league football games where parents cheer clothesline tackles. This nonsense needs to stop and now!

If coaches were teaching proper tackle/ block techniques, the kids wouldn't be using their heads as battering rams – they should be using their shoulder pads and their hands and arms, not their heads. If coaches were taking the job of teaching safe techniques, like they used to, instead of win at any cost mentalities, the number of head injuries wouldn't be so bad.

Shows exactly what is wrong with football today. If you look at the ball carrier, he has his head down and is leading with his head. If we trained coaches how to coach better, the game would be much better off. The problem is that we want to win at all costs and we teach out players that as well and fundamentals aren't there.

If a team is properly coached, there won't be the massive problems that everyone fears!

That's the first thing I spotted! He's looking at the grass. If a coach preaches "Facemask on the football" when going in for a tackle a player's head should never drop! It's all in the coaching folks!!!

It shouldn't be banned, but the best idea was one the late Joe Paterno often espoused: Take away the helmets. Players use their head as a weapon because they feel indestructible in their helmet. If you take that away folks will think twice about direct head to head contact.

Rugby is a prime example of this. Ruggers know well enough you lead with the head you will catch an elbow. They know how a wrap up and drop will gaurantee more success and less injury for both, rather than dive at someone and risk that injury.

No, youth football should not be banned, i coached football 24 years most of those years in youth league. First practice at the parent meeting we went over each piece of equipment and explained to both players and parents what each piece is used for and what it should not be used for. The helmet is a protective piece and not a weapon. I had each parent read the disclaimer label on the helmet. We then taught our players how to properly tackle which by the way does not involve going head to head. We had very few injuries and maybe two concussions in all my years coaching. Equipment has come a long way in 24 years but I believe more needs to be done to educate the coaches on proper technique.

Football will eventually self-destruct. It is an inherently aggressive, physically abusive sport. I played for years, had multiple concussions and broken bones. In today's HYPER litigious world, it won't survive.

My son started playing tackle football in 3rd grade and I will say, I couldn't believe how incredibly violent it was even at such a young age. Kids were using their helmets as weapons, dirty play like one kid stepping on other kids' hands with his cleats (on purpose). My son was the lightest-weight kid on the team and going head-to-head with kids (in 3rd grade!) over 120 lbs. My son was brave and often took them out, but jeez come on. I ended up getting into a fist fight with a father in the stands who was telling his kid to "hurt someone"... and then after our qb was carried off the field, he told his kid to "hit him harder next time, candy will come out".

Two concussions later, I pulled my son from football and he won't play again until he's in high school if he wants. He's a bright kid, he doesn't *need* football and all the head trauma that goes with it. He excels at basketball and soccer, but still pines for football. It's too bad that people keep looking at it like the goal is to hurt somebody and not respecting people as "people". All the extremely violent hits to the head were just the final straw for me.

I don't know why, but I don't remember it being this way when I was a kid.

Because it wasn't like that years ago – coaches used to teach proper techniques, now they teach win at any cost mentalities. My son is playing his first year of tackle football and we made sure his coaches were teaching safety and proper technique and building up from the fundamentals. We have watched other teams in the same league and their coaches are teaching the win at any cost mentality...our kids have been taught to recognize bad technique and give up the play to avoid the injury if need be. We have the least number of injuries in our level of the league of any of the teams. Amazing what proper coaching will do.

Youth football allowed me to receive a discounted education, multiple scholarships and lifelong friends. The problem lies within youth Coaches. Many are Fathers teaching archaeic methods of tackling and blocking. Involving drills such as Oklahoma(Head to Head contact from a lying position and then sprinting towards one another.) College Coaches recognize these drills are insane and put the player at risk. Seminars should be mandatory for all youth coaches, not just that their kid is on team.

less emphasis on winning? Then just join youth soccer! (I don't actually have anything against youth soccer, but there was a King of the Hill episode where Bobby joined a soccer team instead of the football team, but he ended up going back to football after the coach told the players "It's all tied up! Try not to score any more points so nobody has to lose!")

If you feel soccer is not physically as tough as football, you have obviously never seen two teams of eighteen year olds go full on to each other with virtually no protective equiptment. I have seen worse injuries on the high school soccer field; concussions, compound fractures, broken arms, torn knees, than on the football field.

Football, gets a lot of attention on this issue, but what about soccer? When a soccer ball is kicked 30 feet in the air traveling 25 miles and hour and a kid "heads the ball" that does brain damage too? Football is a rough game and tackling is part of the game the rules have been modified enough to make it safer. Football needs to be left alone.

I agree with GASocaler.......I was coached how to tackle the first day of pads in 3rd grade and if concussions still occur it is from those who won't raise their head. I would love to see those numbers of all ages and how many concussions there are. I would wager there are millions of football players in the US and what.......2000 of them will have a concussion in their lifetime. Tell Mcdonalds to take away coffee bc one moran poured it on herself. Get a life!!

More education around proper tackling methods, more transparency and communication to parents not familiar with the proper techniques for tackling and finally more former college, highschool and pro football players speaking up as to why this sport should not be banned.

Please ban it. Parents shouldn't allow this barbaric sport to be perpetuated on their children. So many adults are causing so many kids to be injured. My husband is 55 with a neck injury that plagues him to this day that was caused by 8th grade football. I watched peewee football once and was amazed at the adults screaming: Hit 'em! Hit 'em HARD! wtf?
A nation of idiots on so many levels.....

I don't agree with a total ban, but there needs to be MORE education... MUCH more is necessary. I played for 5 years. If I had it to do over, I would not have played at all. It is a cool thing to do... but very short lived. My memory problems from multiple concussions are likely permanent. I cringe that my young nephew is playing now, at just 7 years old. I know the big injuries won't come until the junior high and high school years, but I don't think he is being told about the risks. The game is getting faster and the hits are getting harder. Equipment technology can't keep up.

No youth football shouldn't be banned, better protective equipment maybe, something light but more derable protection and like GA Socaler said above let those who are educated of the risk make the decision to play or not.

I agree. Better education... MUCH more is necessary. I played for 5 years. If I had it to do over, I would not have played at all. It is a cool thing to do... but very short lived. My memory problems from multiple concussions are likely permanent. I cringe that my young nephew is playing now, at just 7 years old. I know the big injuries won't come until the junior high and high school years, but I don't think he is being told about the risks. The game is getting faster and the hits are getting harder. Equipment technology can't keep up.

You must have been one of those players that didn't think it was important to listen to your coaches and learn the proper way to the play the game. Every football player will have a few plays but I don't know anyone in my 8 years of playing that has "memory problems that are likely permanent."

The problem is that people like you aren't learning how to play and aren't properly playing the game. You hit your shoulder and not your head!

Schools should be places people get educated to get a job, most people are getting minimum wage jobs and doped up, not joining the NFL, which girls can never join. Football is not necessary in public schools. Let them do some basic stretches for exercise and then study science, calculus, and technology, and put cameras in classrooms like Bill Gates suggests to improve both teacher and student performance.